Nuri is a place in modern Sudan on the west side of the Nile, near the Fourth Cataract. Nuri is situated about 15 km north of Sanam, and 10 km from Jebel Barkal.
Nuri is the second of three Napatan burial sites and the construction of pyramids at Nuri began when there was no longer enough space at El-Kurru.[1] More than 20 ancient pyramids belonging to Nubian kings and queens are still standing at Nuri, which served as a royal necropolis for the ancient city of Napata, the first capital of the Nubian Kingdom of Kush. It is probable that, at its apex, 80 or more pyramids stood at Nuri, marking the tombs of royals. The pyramids at Nuri were built over a period of more than three centuries, from circa 670 BCE for the oldest (pyramid of Taharqa), to around 310 BCE (pyramid of king Nastasen).
Map of Jebel Barkal and Nuri.
The earliest known pyramid (Nu. 1) at Nuri belongs to king Taharqa which measures 51.75 meters square by 40 or by 50 metres high.[2] The pyramid of Taharqa was situated so that when observed from Gebel Barkal at sunrise on Egyptian New Year's Day, the beginning of the annual flooding of the Nile, the sun would rise from the horizon directly over its point.[3]
Tantamani, successor of Taharqa, was buried at el-Kurru, but all following Napatan kings and many of their queens and children until Nastasen (Nu. 15) (about 315 BC) were buried here, some 80 royals.[4] The pyramids at Nuri are, in general, smaller than the Egyptian ones and are today often heavily degraded (caused by both humans and nature), but often still contained substantial parts of the funerary equipment of the Kushite rulers who were buried here. During the Christian era, a church was erected here.[5] The church was built at least in part from reused pyramid stones, including several stelae originally coming from the pyramid chapels.
The pyramids were partially excavated by George Reisner in the early 20th century. In 2018, a new archaeological expedition began work at the site, directed by Pearce Paul Creasman.[6]
The pyramids of Nuri, together with other buildings in the region around Gebel Barkal, have been placed on the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites since 2003.[7]
The royal family of Kush was buried in the cemeteries of Nuri and el-Kurru.[8] The King's Mothers were buried in the southern group, but this is not an area exclusively used for the burial of King's Mothers. Most of the King's Wives were buried in the parallel rows just north of Taharqa's tomb. The tombs to the far north were much smaller and may have been built for wives of lesser rank.[9] It was also found by Dows Dunham, an experienced archaeologist, that there were references to two other kings in three of the pyramids including King Taharqa. But, if they are buried there, their tombs have yet to be located and excavated.[10]
Nuri 1 - King Taharqa,[11] the earliest and largest of the Nuri pyramids
Pyramids at the royal cemetery. The small ruins in the front are Nuri 18 (Analmaye), and Nuri 19 (Nasakhma)
Nastasen's pyramid is the most recent of the royal pyramids (335–315/310 BCE)
Southern view of the Nuri pyramids in 1821 (top) and in 2020 (bottom)
Tomb artifacts
Shawabty of King Taharqa depicted holding two hoes, Nuri pyramid 1. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Numerous artifacts were found in the Nuri tombs, mainly excavated in 1916 by the Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition. It is noted that looting was present in all of the pyramids as they were accessible by digging a hole through the ground. Based on objects found within and around the tombs, it is likely that these looters came hundreds of years later. Of what remained, several fragments and completed Napatan red ware pottery were found within several tombs.[10]
Gold flower shaped Diadem, found in the Pyramid of King Talakhamani (435–431 BCE), Nuri pyramid 16. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Jewelry found on the Mummy of Nubian King Amaninatakilebte (538-519 BCE), Nuri pyramid 10. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Unfinished granite stela with statue of Osiris found in the chapel of the Pyramid 3 of Senkamanisken at Nuri
A Shabti, a funerary figure of King Senkamanisken, found in the chapel of the Pyramid 3 at Nuri
Artifacts including large metal tweezers, decorated and inscribed vessels, gold sheaths, and a ewer marked for King Aspelta found in Nuri pyramid 8. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The Sarcophagus of King Aspelta found in Nuri pyramid 8. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
^Timothy Kendall; 2002; Napatan temples: A case study from Gebel Barkal. Gebel Barkal, the Mythological Nubian Origin of Egyptian kingship, and the Formation of the Napatan state; pp.67-69.
^Compare the list in Derek A. Welsby: The Kingdom of Kush. British Museum Press, London 1996, pp. 207-208 ISBN0-7141-0986-X
^Dunham, The Royal Cemeteries of Kush II, Nuri, fig. 216
^Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region at UNESCO.org
^Dows Dunham and M. F. Laming Macadam, "Names and Relationships of the Royal Family of Napata", The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 35 (December 1949), pp. 139-149
^Angelika Lohwasser, "Queenship in Kush: Status, Role and Ideology of Royal Women", Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, Vol. 38 (2001), pp. 61-76
^ abDunham, Dows (1955). "The Royal Cemeteries at Kush, II. Nuri". Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 17 (2) – via JSTOR.
^ abcdefghijWelsby, Derek A. (1998). The Kingdom of Kush: The Napatan and Meroitic Empires. Princeton: Markus Weiner Publishers. p. 207. ISBN1-55876-182-9.
^ abcdefghiWelsby, Derek A. (1998). The Kingdom of Kush: The Napatan and Meroitic Empires. Princeton: Markus Weiner Publishers. p. 208. ISBN1-55876-182-9.
Literature
Dows Dunham. The Royal Cemeteries of Kush II, Nuri, Boston (Mass.): Museum of Fine Arts, 1955.
External links
Pyramids of Nuri (flickr)
Nuri Pyramids
"Dive beneath the pyramids of Sudan's black pharaohs". National Geographic. 2 July 2019.
January 21, 2023
nuri, other, uses, disambiguation, place, modern, sudan, west, side, nile, near, fourth, cataract, situated, about, north, sanam, from, jebel, barkal, pyramids, nubian, kings, aspelta, foreground, aramatle, amaninatakilebte, shown, within, northeast, africasho. For other uses see Nuri disambiguation Nuri is a place in modern Sudan on the west side of the Nile near the Fourth Cataract Nuri is situated about 15 km north of Sanam and 10 km from Jebel Barkal NuriPyramids of Nubian kings Aspelta foreground Aramatle qo and Amaninatakilebte at Nuri NuriShown within Northeast AfricaShow map of Northeast AfricaNuriNuri Sudan Show map of SudanLocationNorthern State SudanRegionNubiaCoordinates18 33 52 N 31 54 59 E 18 56444 N 31 91639 E 18 56444 31 91639 Coordinates 18 33 52 N 31 54 59 E 18 56444 N 31 91639 E 18 56444 31 91639TypeSettlementSite notesConditionrestoredNuri is the second of three Napatan burial sites and the construction of pyramids at Nuri began when there was no longer enough space at El Kurru 1 More than 20 ancient pyramids belonging to Nubian kings and queens are still standing at Nuri which served as a royal necropolis for the ancient city of Napata the first capital of the Nubian Kingdom of Kush It is probable that at its apex 80 or more pyramids stood at Nuri marking the tombs of royals The pyramids at Nuri were built over a period of more than three centuries from circa 670 BCE for the oldest pyramid of Taharqa to around 310 BCE pyramid of king Nastasen Map of Jebel Barkal and Nuri The earliest known pyramid Nu 1 at Nuri belongs to king Taharqa which measures 51 75 meters square by 40 or by 50 metres high 2 The pyramid of Taharqa was situated so that when observed from Gebel Barkal at sunrise on Egyptian New Year s Day the beginning of the annual flooding of the Nile the sun would rise from the horizon directly over its point 3 Tantamani successor of Taharqa was buried at el Kurru but all following Napatan kings and many of their queens and children until Nastasen Nu 15 about 315 BC were buried here some 80 royals 4 The pyramids at Nuri are in general smaller than the Egyptian ones and are today often heavily degraded caused by both humans and nature but often still contained substantial parts of the funerary equipment of the Kushite rulers who were buried here During the Christian era a church was erected here 5 The church was built at least in part from reused pyramid stones including several stelae originally coming from the pyramid chapels The pyramids were partially excavated by George Reisner in the early 20th century In 2018 a new archaeological expedition began work at the site directed by Pearce Paul Creasman 6 The pyramids of Nuri together with other buildings in the region around Gebel Barkal have been placed on the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites since 2003 7 Contents 1 Tombs at Nuri 2 Tomb artifacts 3 See also 4 References 5 Literature 6 External linksTombs at Nuri EditSee List of monarchs of Kush for more information Pyramids of Nuri in 1821 Pyramids of Nuri in 1821 plan The largest one Nb 1 belongs to Taharqa the others are numbered from West to East The ruins of the pyramid of Taharqa the earliest and largest of the Nuri pyramids circa 670 BCE View of the pyramids Nuri 9 Aramatle qo Nuri 8 Aspelta and Nuri 7 Karkamani from left to right The royal family of Kush was buried in the cemeteries of Nuri and el Kurru 8 The King s Mothers were buried in the southern group but this is not an area exclusively used for the burial of King s Mothers Most of the King s Wives were buried in the parallel rows just north of Taharqa s tomb The tombs to the far north were much smaller and may have been built for wives of lesser rank 9 It was also found by Dows Dunham an experienced archaeologist that there were references to two other kings in three of the pyramids including King Taharqa But if they are buried there their tombs have yet to be located and excavated 10 Nuri 1 King Taharqa 11 the earliest and largest of the Nuri pyramids Nuri 2 King Amaniastabarqa 12 Nuri 3 King Senkamanisken 11 Nuri 4 King Siaspiqa 12 Nuri 5 King Malonaqen 11 Nuri 6 King Anlamani 11 son of King Senkamanisken Nuri 7 King Karkamani 11 Nuri 8 King Aspelta 11 son of King Senkamanisken and Queen Naparaye Nuri 9 King Aramatle qo 11 son of Aspelta Nuri 10 King Amaninatakilebte 11 Nuri 11 King Malewiebamani 12 Nuri 12 King Amanineteyerike son of King Malewiebamani Nuri 13 King Harsiotef 12 Nuri 14 King Akhraten 12 Nuri 15 King Nastasen 12 Nuri 16 King Talakhamani 12 Nuri 17 King Baskakeren 12 son of King Malewiebamani Nuri 18 King Analmaye 11 Nuri 19 King Nasakhma 12 Nuri 20 King Atlanersa 11 Son of Taharqa Nuri 21 Possibly Takahatenamun Queen Wife of Taharqa Nuri 22 Possibly Amanimalel Queen Wife of King Senkamanisken Nuri 23 Masalaye Queen Probably wife of King Senkamanisken Nuri 24 Nasalsa Queen Daughter of Atlanersa wife of King Senkamanisken Nuri 25 Maletaral II Queen Time of King Amaninatakilebte Nuri 26 Amanitakaye Queen Daughter of Aspelta sister wife of Aramatle qo mother of Malonaqen Nuri 27 Madiqen Queen Wife of Anlamani Nuri 28 Henuttakhebit Queen Wife of Aspelta Nuri 29 Pi ankhqew qa Queen Possibly wife of King Siaspiqa Nuri 31 Saka aye Queen Probably mother of King Malewiebamani Nuri 32 Akhrasan Queen Temp King Malewiebamani Nuri 34 Henutirdis Queen From the time of King Harsiotef Nuri 35 Possibly Queen Abar wife of Piye Mother of Taharqa Nuri 36 Atakhebasken Queen Wife of Taharqa Nuri 38 Akheqa Queen Daughter of Aspelta and wife of Aramatle qo Nuri 39 Maletasen Queen Wife of Aramatle qo Nuri 40 Meqemale Queen Possibly wife of Aspelta Nuri 41 Maletaral I Queen Wife of Atlanersa Nuri 42 Asata Queen Wife of Aspelta Nuri 44 Batahaliye Queen Wife of Harsiotef Nuri 45 Tagtal Queen Wife of King Malonaqen Nuri 53 Yeturow Queen Sister Wife of Atlanersa Nuri 55 Atmataka Queen Wife of Aramatle qo Nuri 56 Possibly Sekhmakh Queen Wife of Nastasen Nuri 57 Piankhher Queen Possible wife of Aramatle qo Nuri 58 Artaha Queen Possible wife of Aspelta Nuri 59 Malaqaye Queen Possibly a wife of King Tantamani Nuri 61 Atasamale Queen Possibly a wife of Amanineteyerike Main Nuri pyramids seen from the top of the pyramid of Taharqa Back row left to right Nuri 14 Akhraten Nuri 13 Harsiotef Nuri 15 King Nastasen in the forefront Nuri 12 Amanineteyerike Nuri 11 Malewiebamani Nuri 10 Amaninatakilebte Nuri 9 Aramatle qo Nuri 8 Aspelta best preserved pyramid Nuri 7 Karkamani Nuri 6 Anlamani Nuri 5 Malonaqen Front row left to right Nuri 4 Siaspiqa in the middle of the image Nuri 18 Analmaye small ruins in the back Nuri 19 Nasakhma small ruins in the back Nuri 3 Senkamanisken Nuri 2 Amaniastabarqa A man walks among the pyramids Pyramids at the royal cemetery The small ruins in the front are Nuri 18 Analmaye and Nuri 19 Nasakhma Nastasen s pyramid is the most recent of the royal pyramids 335 315 310 BCE Southern view of the Nuri pyramids in 1821 top and in 2020 bottom Tomb artifacts Edit Shawabty of King Taharqa depicted holding two hoes Nuri pyramid 1 Museum of Fine Arts Boston Numerous artifacts were found in the Nuri tombs mainly excavated in 1916 by the Harvard University Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition It is noted that looting was present in all of the pyramids as they were accessible by digging a hole through the ground Based on objects found within and around the tombs it is likely that these looters came hundreds of years later Of what remained several fragments and completed Napatan red ware pottery were found within several tombs 10 Gold flower shaped Diadem found in the Pyramid of King Talakhamani 435 431 BCE Nuri pyramid 16 Museum of Fine Arts Boston Jewelry found on the Mummy of Nubian King Amaninatakilebte 538 519 BCE Nuri pyramid 10 Museum of Fine Arts Boston Unfinished granite stela with statue of Osiris found in the chapel of the Pyramid 3 of Senkamanisken at Nuri A Shabti a funerary figure of King Senkamanisken found in the chapel of the Pyramid 3 at Nuri Artifacts including large metal tweezers decorated and inscribed vessels gold sheaths and a ewer marked for King Aspelta found in Nuri pyramid 8 Museum of Fine Arts Boston The Sarcophagus of King Aspelta found in Nuri pyramid 8 Museum of Fine Arts Boston See also EditNubian pyramids Pyramids at El Kurru Pyramids of Jebel Barkal Pyramids of Meroe Sedeinga pyramidsReferences Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pyramids of Nuri Wilson John A 1958 Review of The Royal Cemeteries of Kush II Nuri Journal of Near Eastern Studies 17 2 152 155 ISSN 0022 2968 The Pyramids of Nuri Timothy Kendall 2002 Napatan temples A case study from Gebel Barkal Gebel Barkal the Mythological Nubian Origin of Egyptian kingship and the Formation of the Napatan state pp 67 69 Compare the list in Derek A Welsby The Kingdom of Kush British Museum Press London 1996 pp 207 208 ISBN 0 7141 0986 X Dunham The Royal Cemeteries of Kush II Nuri fig 216 Updates for the expedition can be found online Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region at UNESCO org Dows Dunham and M F Laming Macadam Names and Relationships of the Royal Family of Napata The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology Vol 35 December 1949 pp 139 149 Angelika Lohwasser Queenship in Kush Status Role and Ideology of Royal Women Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt Vol 38 2001 pp 61 76 a b Dunham Dows 1955 The Royal Cemeteries at Kush II Nuri Journal of Near Eastern Studies 17 2 via JSTOR a b c d e f g h i j Welsby Derek A 1998 The Kingdom of Kush The Napatan and Meroitic Empires Princeton Markus Weiner Publishers p 207 ISBN 1 55876 182 9 a b c d e f g h i Welsby Derek A 1998 The Kingdom of Kush The Napatan and Meroitic Empires Princeton Markus Weiner Publishers p 208 ISBN 1 55876 182 9 Literature EditDows Dunham The Royal Cemeteries of Kush II Nuri Boston Mass Museum of Fine Arts 1955 External links EditPyramids of Nuri flickr Nuri Pyramids Dive beneath the pyramids of Sudan s black pharaohs National Geographic 2 July 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nuri amp oldid 1125770194, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
